DOE Radiological and Environmental U.S. Department of Energy Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory Anita Bhatt Shane Steidley DOE Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory ASP Meeting 2016 Sept. 19, 2016

MAPEP Program Description Assures the quality, accuracy and defensibility of environmental analytical measurements. Ensures valid analytical data which is critical to worker and environmental protection for minimizing DOE’s liability and risk Evaluates analytical work based on performance. Addresses specific analytical issues routinely encountered that affect the accuracy of the results. Tests the accuracy of analytical procedures on a variety of real samples being submitted to DOE for analysis.

MAPEP Programmatic Updates Ongoing funding efforts to sustain current program and manage inflationary cost growth Suspension or elimination of participants and selected PT matrices Technical Highlights for 2016

Budgetary Impacts to MAPEP Suspension of the following PT areas: International Participation Organic PT (OrW and OrS) Gross alpha/beta (GrW and GrF) Sr-89/90 Air Filter No special request PT samples No remedial samples related to Priority 1 findings Must wait for the next MAPEP test session

Technical Highlights 2016

MAPEP Series 34 & 35 by the Numbers MAPEP Test Session Series 34 Series 35 Dates Shipped March 2016 Sept. 2016 Laboratories Participating 127 79 Domestic 85 International 42  0 Proficiency Testing Standards Shipped 664 336

Lost International Participation Lab Name Country Health Services Support Agency, Forensic Sci. Services AUSTRALIA ZVD Institute of Occupational Safety SLOVENIA International Atomic Energy Agency AUSTRIA RadioAnalysis, South Africa Nuclear Energy Corp. SOUTH AFRICA Supreme Council for Environment BAHRAIN CIEMAT-(Radiation Protection Laboratory) SPAIN Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria - IRD/CNEN BRAZIL Departamento Ingeniería Nuclear y Mecánica de Fluidos Health Canada Radiation Protection Bureau CANADA Laboratori de Radiologia Ambiental-Universitat de Barcelona Radiation Protection Bureau RSD NMS LARUEX Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory Radiation Protection Service Radiactividad Ambiental y Vigilancia Radiologica Radiation and ICP-Plasma Laboratories EGYPT University of La Laguna FISICA Medica Soreq NRC ISRAEL Lab Radiactividad Ambiental. Univ. Politecnica Valencia Chemical and Physical Analysis Laboratories Directorate JORDAN Tunisia- Radioanalytical Laboratory TUNISIA Research Laboratories and Information Directorate Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Radioecology Laboratory TURKEY Royal Scientific Society, Environmental Instrumental Analysis Laboratory NAS Radiochemistry Group UK Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards Energy and Mineral Regulatory Commission Chemistry Support Services Laboratories and Quality Affairs Jordan Environmental Scientifics Group Royal Scientific Society - Radiation Protection Lab UniTech Services Group, Ltd Ministry Of Health,Radiation Protection Department Lab KUWAIT PHE, CRCE Scotland Physics Department Radiological Lab Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission - Environmental Radiation LEBANON LGC Ltd Asia Lab (M) Sdn. Bhd. MALAYSIA Public Health England National Center for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Techniques MOROCCO Materials Assessment and Health Physics Group UniTech Services B.V. NETHERLANDS National Oceanography Centre, Southampton Environmental Radioactivity - National Centre for Radiation Science NEW ZEALAND Cavendish Nuclear Limited Foods and Water Laboratories Center OMAN AMEC Foster Wheeler - Analytical Services Arab Center for Engineering Studies QATAR Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council-Central Testing Lab UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Qatar University- Nuclear Physics Lab Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp (ENEC) Environmental Radiochemistry Lab Babcock Marine (Rosyth) Ltd. SCOTLAND

Even Uranium Forms Insoluble Compounds

Technical Assistance MAPEP provided technical assistance with sample dissolution techniques. U-234 Bias

MaS33 Pu-239/240

Sr-89/90 Air Filter   Activity Ratio Sr-89/90 SrF31 12 SrF32 45 SrF33 4

MaW34 Ra-226 13 Not Acceptable 19 Acceptable

MaW34 Ra-226 by Gamma & Alpha Spectrometry

Special Radiological Matrix XrM for Series 33 & 34 Non punitive, promote increased scientific capability, … Undisclosed sample matrix and radionuclides. Results are only evaluated based on bias from the known. Acceptance flags are not assigned to the results. To test analytical capabilities.

Special Radiological Matrix (XrM) Full ‘suite’ of nuclides Real World Matrices Concrete Asphalt

XrM Reporting Summary 127 Total MAPEP Laboratory’s Perceived demand for special material? Only 28% participation? Only 10 laboratory’s reported alpha emitters? Poor capability or lack of interest?

XrM33 Ir-192 Cement Labs

XrM33 Cm-244 Cement

XrM34 Uranium-234 Asphalt

XrM34 Plutonium-239 Asphalt

XrM34 Ra-226 by Gamma Spectrometry

Co-57 False Positive Testing Eu-152 & Se-75 Interferences

Co-57 vs. Eu-152

Co-57 vs. Se-75

Assessing Analytical Laboratory Performance NIST Traceable Standards – Performance Based Internal and External Chemical Methods Dissolution of Insoluble and Refractory Compounds Proper Use of Tracers and Internal Standards Personnel Knowledge and Ability Technique / Subtleties to the Chemical Procedure

Duplicate Samples Should Never be Used to Evaluate Laboratory Performance

Duplicate Samples Should Never be Used to Evaluate Laboratory Performance

DOE Expects Quality Results “High bias to the Pu-239/240 results are expected” “Attempts to remove this Po-210 interference on these samples in the past have been unsuccessful. Thus, the results are submitted without further qualifications.”

Summary MAPEP continues to identify and solve analytical/laboratory problems that are otherwise difficult to recognize before they become a DOE liability. Tests the accuracy and reliability of analytical procedures on a variety of real samples being submitted to DOE for analysis. Addresses specific analytical issues routinely encountered that affect the accuracy of the results. MAPEP is a federal oversite program that is critical in assuring consistent and reliable laboratory data.

Websites and Contact Information RESL: http://www.id.energy.gov/resl/ MAPEP: http://www/id.energy.gov/resl/mapep Anita R. Bhatt, RESL Director: 208-526-1273, bhattar@id.doe.gov David Sill, Sr. Technical Manager Chemistry: 208-526-8031, sillds@id.doe.gov Guy Marlette, MAPEP Coordinator: 208-526-2532, marletgm@id.doe.gov